God desires that we prosper, 3 John v2.
We will encounter persecution and tribulation as Jesus said, but his intention is that we overcome in it.
It is obvious that God created life to succeed and to grow. Difficulties have come in through the fall, and through God's response to the fall. Despite these, God calls us to be overcomers, and empowers us to overcome by the presence of his Spirit.
To prosper is to live fully and productively, to function richly and abundantly, to enjoy the life God gave us. There will be things we need to learn to allow this to happen of course.
Prosperity includes having the finance that you need for the works God has called you to. It is not abundance for abundance's sake, and it is not self-centred or greedy.
God desires that his children prosper and succed in what they do, whether it be business, minstry or whatever else one is called into.
We are not called to love money, or put our hope in it, or in earthly things. We ARE encouraged to enjoy even the things of this world however, provided they do not take over in our hearts from the first love we have for Jesus.
Simon
Monday, November 9, 2009
Thursday, November 5, 2009
Casting your cares to Jesus
We are human beings being transformed to reflect the divine nature in us through our faith in Christ.
In this age we should not lose sight of both our humanity with it's residual failings and Christ in us.
We must not become so formulaic in our faith and speech that we cannot honestly and straightforwardly unburden ourselves on the Lord from time to time as we find necessary.
Peter encourages us to 'cast our cares on him' in 1 Peter 5v7.
Sometimes this means passionate expression from the heart. This is one way by which we commune closely with the Lord. We cannot do this if we watch our words so closely that we never truly express our heart.
Do not fear that you will offend God.
We are assured that God is love (1 John 4v8,16) and that love is not easily offended (1 Cor 13v5).
He accepts us and we can come boldly before him.
If we find we have confessed our sins in the process, we will be forgiven and cleansed from all unrighteousness!
Remember Jesus prayed at times with loud cries! (Hebrews 5v7)
Simon
In this age we should not lose sight of both our humanity with it's residual failings and Christ in us.
We must not become so formulaic in our faith and speech that we cannot honestly and straightforwardly unburden ourselves on the Lord from time to time as we find necessary.
Peter encourages us to 'cast our cares on him' in 1 Peter 5v7.
Sometimes this means passionate expression from the heart. This is one way by which we commune closely with the Lord. We cannot do this if we watch our words so closely that we never truly express our heart.
Do not fear that you will offend God.
We are assured that God is love (1 John 4v8,16) and that love is not easily offended (1 Cor 13v5).
He accepts us and we can come boldly before him.
If we find we have confessed our sins in the process, we will be forgiven and cleansed from all unrighteousness!
Remember Jesus prayed at times with loud cries! (Hebrews 5v7)
Simon
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
Pressing on towards the goal
Paul encourages us in Phil 3v13 to press on to take hold of Christ's purposes for us just as he was doing. Again, Jesus said that the man who was looking back could not be his disciple, Luke 9v62.
We need to rid our hearts of everything that causes us to look over our shoulder at what has been, otherwise we will lose focus for the future.
Everything that has been
Everything you would have liked to have been
Everything that could have been
Even everything which you think you would have liked to have been in your life
Every possibility that seemed precious, right and righteous, whether it came to pass or not
Unless you let go of these things, you will not receive vision and passion for the future, because it cannot take deep root in your heart. It will be preoccupied with the past.
It is spiritual adultery to consider other options than walking with God in what he presently sets before us.
We need to be single-minded. We need to know what we are called to do.
I need to prepare to make sure my heart is ready to enter fully into what lies ahead.
We need to rid our hearts of everything that causes us to look over our shoulder at what has been, otherwise we will lose focus for the future.
Everything that has been
Everything you would have liked to have been
Everything that could have been
Even everything which you think you would have liked to have been in your life
Every possibility that seemed precious, right and righteous, whether it came to pass or not
Unless you let go of these things, you will not receive vision and passion for the future, because it cannot take deep root in your heart. It will be preoccupied with the past.
It is spiritual adultery to consider other options than walking with God in what he presently sets before us.
We need to be single-minded. We need to know what we are called to do.
I need to prepare to make sure my heart is ready to enter fully into what lies ahead.
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